2010
by Fourefs
Summary: There are plans to get the Stargate public. And there are concerns about that


Sam was standing in the doorway of her lab watching the most annoying IOA representative disappear in the elevator when her phone rang.

"Carter" she answered

"Hi" said the voice on the other side

"Hi" she answered with a wide smile. It was Jack O'Neill. She could recognize his voice anytime in any circumstances.

"What's up there?" he asked cheerfully.

"What's down here? Agrhh…" was her only answer. She was really annoyed by the IOA. Really.

"Oh, come on, it can't be that bad. Here we have all the pressure of the politics" he started to tease her, but he regretted immediately when she didn't answer.

….

"Uh, I just imagined your glare. I take it back." he said apologetically.

"Wait a minute" she put the receiver on her desk, and stepped out the door to look around - just in case "good - the `pressure` just left the mountain" She said, still little bit pissed off.

"Talking about him - there will be a meeting next Wednesday here. Will you come over?" he asked casually.

"Sure, and I can stay a couple of days" she answered, already in a much better mood

"Hm…you still can read my mind" he answered with a mock surprise in his voice. She laughed.

"Well, how many years? 10, 11? And what will be the meeting about?" she knew she wouldn't be happy with the answer but she had to ask.

"We need to put together a couple of scenario plans in case of the gate goes public" he was a little bit hesitant to say the truth, knowing what her reaction would be, but he had to

"What? Not again" she answered, but she was not surprised. She was just annoyed.

"You know, new election, new people, new you know what." he started to convince her "And we need to talk about the finance as well."

"That will be tough. I guess I need to come up with a forecast" she said, already knowing what she needs to do.

"Yup. With a good one. I've seen the latest figures. We are still far away from being profitable." his voice was low. He knew he is asking something impossible from her. He did that before, but that was science, and in that she is unbeatable, but this is business, and she is still learning that.

"Why don't they understand that it is more difficult than the weather forecast?" she said again. She knew that Jack was not the one to be convinced. She started to give up, and her tone become sarcastic. "Anyway, why don't we have a project guessing on the winning lottery numbers? Oh yeah, I know, not enough money"

"Hey, hey, calm down Carter, I perfectly understand where you are coming from." He said, his tone sounded like he wanted to defend himself, but he just wanted to calm her down. He heard her opinion may times in the last couple of month. She was really frustrated with this.

"Yes, we here and the Area51 working our butts off on getting something fancy and adapting to our needs, but it is really hard, Jack. I cannot promise that any of the teams come home with something breathtaking, and if they do, I cannot guarantee that any of my teams can turn it to something to be sold for big money in two days." she was talking too fast again. And jack heard these words before. The problem was that no matter how true they were, 99% of Washington didn't want to hear this.

"I know, I know." he said with surrender "Do some PR please. We really need to show them the shiny side."

"Sure, you know that you can count on me." she said, knowing that there's no other choice.

"I gotta go. Take care, ok?"

"You too"

"Bye"

"Bye"

----------------------------------------

Seven men and a woman - mainly in dress bues - were sitting in the main high tech top secret meeting room in the basement of a Washington government office, staring on the screen when the presenter stood up and started to speak.

2010 was the only thing on the screen. Big shiny blue numbers in the middle, rotating. Why next year? It was a bad idea in an other timeline as well.

"Mr President, Gentlemen, " he cleared his throat, obviously knowing that Colonel Sam Carter is there as well, and subconsciously letting everybody know that he disn't relly understand why she had this level of clearance "Colonel, you are fully aware that the economy is in a crisis now. We thought that it will be over by now, but it's not. And we need to do something. We need to boost up our economy. You remember the new deal? We will have one as well."

The president looked at him questioningly - and the others as well.

"We at the IOS were playing with the thought to get the Stargate program public, but we thought that that could cause panic, unnecessary tension in foreign affairs"

Jack laughed out loud.

"Sorry" he said "Go on"

"So, to get out of this economical situation, we need a booster. And we think the booster should be the stargate." he pressd a key on the keyboard and the 2010 disappeared, and a photo of the open stargate appeared.

"If the Stargate goes public, we can get private teams to go through the gate and seek for potentially valuable technology outside. We can get a fee for every team, and we can get a money for the technology or knowledge they come back with." another press on the keyboard a start of a flowchart appeared on the screen. "Then this potentially valuable technology, let's call it PVT, can be sold to private research companies, manufacturers, etc. So not only we gather money for selling the opportunity, and an early stage product, we - of course - influencing the economy with generating demand for products we newer knew we could have and creating jobs and money. And that's what we need now."

Silence. It makes sense, it's just too early, and too risky. That's it. Sam and Jack knew it. They shared a look, and opened the file the presenter just handed to them. This was the full plan to make this whole idea real. They read the keywords, and suddenly it started to sink in. Sam realised that if this goes ahead, she will be just one of the others, working long hours to get the target number, and all what they have been worked for for 11 years, all the exploration, all the alliances will turn ti rude cold business, and she was not sure she could do that.

When the meeting was over, jack was caught up by the president and somebody else, asking about his opinion, and it was a good opportunity for her to sneak out. She was out in 2 minutes. She sat down on the stairs in front of the office, trying to enjoy the autumn sun.

She didn't know how long she was sitting there, when she heard familiar footsteps behind her. Jack sat next to him, handing her a paper cup of coffee. She took it.

"You haven't said a word" He said tenderly. She knew that he thought she would protest, or at least try to express her concerns.

"I didn't want to" she said, looking down on the coffee in her hands.

They were sitting there next to each other in silence watching the people coming and going in front of them. Jack glanced at her more and more often, and after a certain time he couldn't stand it anymore, he put his hand on her shoulder and pulled her in his embrace. That was the moment when something inside her broke.

"It's over, isn't it?" she asked. She didn't know wether she was referring to her career, to the programme, or what exctly, Jack didn't know what to answer for the question. He kissed the top of her head instead, and took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of her hair.

"It doesn't need to be over, you know" he said finally. She looked up at him, in his eyes.

"But I cannot do it like this anymore" she said sadly "2010? God, how can they expect that any of this could work by next year?" she took a deep breath "Everything is different now, everything is lost it's point." she started to talk quicker, she suddenly wanted to talk every frustration out of her "I'm struggling, Jack. There's no motivation, just the constant pressure. Everything I do is not good enough, not quick enough, or doesn't bring enough money. I'm not the expert anymore in anything, I'm tied to the procedures. To be honest I'm fed up of the processes, and protocols and politics, and the control. I'm tired, Jack."

"I know" he said, and pulled her closer "I know, me too"

She buried her face in the crook of his neck, and hugged him tight. "I was thinking about quitting lately" She didn't want to look at him when she was saying those words out loud. She knew he would think of it as giving up.

"And what would you do?" he asked tenderly. She thought for a moment that he understands.

"I don't know. Write a couple of books, teach at a university or at the academy." she paused a little, and finally she looked in his eyes, to find nothing more than understanding, sympathy and a smile. A smile? She continued. "I've seen and experienced more that others can imagine. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that I was the part of the programme for this long. But if I stay, this whole will be ruined. And I don't want to watch this getting ruined." she pased for a moment, to get the nergy to confess what she really felt lately "My preferences had changed Jack. And I cannot stand that anymore."

Jack pushed her back a little, and he held her now by her upper arms. He looked seriously in her eyes.

"Are you sure you want to be out of this?" he asked

She nodded.

"Then let's get out of this together. I have a request for retirement already waiting for signing in my drawer, I sign it and let`s go, anywhere" he said, leaving Sam speechless. he thought he could see a little worry in her eyes "Anyway I have a feeling that my pension would be high enough for both of us"

Sam couldn't do anything but laugh, and kiss him right there and then.

"You don't need to do this for me" she assured him.

"Carter, now I start to think that after those years you still don't know me well enough" - he said, putting back a strand of blond hair behind her ear. "Do you know how long is it there? Do you know how many lonely evenings do I spend searching for jobs suitable for a retired general? And how many website I browsed to find a place somewhere nice where I can grow old with you by my side?"

She was taken aback. He just said that he wanted to life his whole life with her. God, she loves this man more than anything. She was just staring at him, and he was staring at her. Trying to read her thoughts.

"I love you" she said finally, and lifting her hand to his face. He leaned in her touch, and their lips were only inches apart. He slowly closed the gap and kissed her with all his undying love and passion.

As the kiss ended, they smiled at each other with all their love and relief. "I love you too" te took a deep breay, leaning back on the stairs, turning his head to the sun "So with 3 months notice, a handover to the newies, oh yeah, 2010 will be our year." he said casually, undeniable releif and joy in his voice.

Future is unknown, but it will be theirs, together.


End file.
